Stuck raccoon causes train delays

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A raccoon stuck in a railway switch point shut down the intercity train lines between the central German towns of Göttingen and Kassel on Sunday.

Trains in both directions on the line in the state of Lower Saxony were suspended for an hour a half, while technicians removed the raccoon, which paid for its curiosity with its life.

Three trains were forced to stop mid-journey, while five others had to be re-directed. A spokeswoman for German rail operator Deutsche Bahn was not able to say how many passengers were affected by the delay.

The delays of all eight trains amounted to 270 minutes.

However, the raccoon is not thought to have been a member of the left-wing extremist group that sabotaged German railways in and around Berlin last week.